Everything I Needed
by AgoodWITCH
Summary: Bella had been lucky to land the job as the nanny to Esme and Carlisle's two girls, but when Carlisle's younger brother arrives in New York in need of a fresh start and some help with his own brood, Bella's world is quickly turned upside down. It was just supposed to be a job, but they quickly became everything she needed.
1. Chapter 1

**I know it has been a while since I've posted, but I have been writing around the whirlwind that has been my life this fall. Things are coming to a head, and with that I will have more time to write and complete some things, but this little one has been sitting in my tbr file for a while and I've now got enough banked on both sides to feel comfortable to at least start posting.**

**This story is a first for me, in that I'm posting two separate POV's as separate stories. Edward's side of this is Everything I Wanted, and it will be posted soon after this goes up. You will get one chapter a week of each if I can stick to the plan, with Need posting in the middle of the week (because I can't always guarantee Wednesday) and Want posting on the weekend. ****There will be some overlap, but not more than necessary as they will follow the pair more when they're apart, especially in the beginning.**

**This is my Thanksgiving present to all of you who have stuck with me, and to everyone who doesn't celebrate, just know that you make the journey so fulfilling with your support. I've gotten an influx of new followers thanks to rec on TwiFanficionRecs and TwiFic Central, so here's a whole new ride. Older Edward, younger Bella, but both of them have a lot to learn.**

**As always thanks to Mizzdee for her beta skills and support, you're my best friend and I love you. ACullenWannabe, my fic sis, has started to post again, so if you haven't read her stories, RUN to check them out.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Everything I Needed**

**Chapter 1**

I jogged down the street after coming out of the subway, hoping that I wouldn't be late. Esme had to get over to the property on 38th Street, so I would be watching the girls until Carlisle got home from the hospital.

It was hard to believe that I would finally be done with school in a few weeks and I was starting to get worried about what that would mean for my job as Carlisle and Esme's nanny. Their two girls, Charlotte and Tia, were both dreams to take care of, but now that I had my degree I wasn't sure what would change. I would happily continue on as their nanny, because it would give me a place to live and an okay income, but with the city being as expensive as it is, I might need to take a second job during the mornings.

I put those thoughts aside the moment I walked past Sam and entered the lobby of the building that housed the closest thing I had to family in New York.

Esme and Carlisle Cullen had found me by sheer coincidence one day two years ago as Esme and I both searched for fabric at a great textile place in Midtown. She was looking for upholstery fabric for a chair and I needed a few yards for a new dress, but it was our conversation as we waited at the cutting table that led to me meeting her family.

Though I hadn't been with an agency, my odd menagerie of skills and way with children won over both Esme and Carlisle, so after some background checks and a signed contract, I was moving out of the tiny room I was renting in the tenement-style house in Brooklyn and into my dream apartment in Little Italy. Esme owned three floors in the building, which included both her design studio, office, and my apartment, so my rent was technically part of my income in addition to the salary I earned for watching the girls about twenty to twenty-five hours a week.

For the past two years I'd managed to fit my school schedule around the girls, and now I was about to embark on a whole new world of possibilities.

Esme was encouraging me to use my newfound free time to write, seeing as it was why I had gone to school to earn a double major in creative writing and history, but I wasn't sure I was financially secure enough to do that.

The elevator door opened and I stepped in, pressing the button for the apartment several times in hopes that it would speed up the trip. The ride was short, and soon I was in the small foyer outside their condo, trying to dig out my keys. Finally finding them, I opened the door and immediately heard the girls' laughter.

"Sorry I'm late, Esme, my history professor took forever to hand back our last paper," I told her as she kissed the girls goodbye and waved me off.

"Don't worry about it; I was still taking care of some things here, so I wouldn't have been ready to leave until I tied up those loose ends. Carlisle won't be home for dinner, so you girls are on your own tonight. I'll see you tomorrow, Bella."

With Esme gone, I settled Charlotte and Tia at their arts and crafts table and let them draw while I looked for something to make for dinner. Noticing the jar of sauce I'd made last week was still there, as well as some mozzarella, I decided on English muffin pizza and then pulled out my history notes. I only had one final exam, as two of my history teachers assigned final papers and both of my English classes had writing assignments, which I'd already handed in. My exam was tomorrow morning, and then I would have three weeks off before my graduation ceremony.

When the girls got bored of drawing, I put on _Finding Nemo_ and let them veg out and enjoy their favorite movie while I sat on the other end of the couch with my notebook. By the time the movie was over, I was feeling prepared for my test and the girls were feeling chatty.

We made the pizza as Charlotte talked about how excited she was for her cousins to be moving and it was then that I realized why Esme was working so hard on this newest project, it was obviously for her brother-in-law and his family. Between Tia and Charlotte, I found out that they had three cousins and they would be arriving the day before my graduation.

I smiled at their adorable enthusiasm and after the dinner dishes were washed we moved into the living room for a few rounds of go fish before another Disney movie went into the blu-ray player. Tia was asleep halfway through, so I carried her to bed before I sat down with Charlotte to watch the end of the movie.

"Bella," Charlotte said, obviously ignoring the singing animals on the screen at the moment, "I hope Uncle Eddie likes you, because then we'd get to see Rose and Jasper and Alice almost every day."

Her statement confused me, because I didn't know why her uncle would have to like me for her to see her cousins. Charlotte started to fall asleep soon after, so I tucked her in and then returned to the living room to watch a little TV until Carlisle came home.

"Bella," Carlisle's voice called to me as he shook my shoulder, "thanks for staying late, you can take the guest room if you'd like, otherwise just text me so I know you made it home safe."

"I promise to text you," I yawned as I said goodnight and then collected my things, making my way out to the subway station a few blocks down.

The train arrived soon after I got to the platform, so I got home fairly quickly, sending Carlisle a text as I headed up to my apartment so that I could get some sleep before my exam in the morning.

The three weeks between my exam and my graduation ceremony were hectic. Esme had approached me last week to explain that she wanted me to meet with her brother-in-law about possibly becoming a full-time nanny for his three kids. I would still watch the girls, only Jared, their driver, would pick up all the kids and drive them to Edward's house and I would wrangle the children there. I had to admit that I was excited by the prospect of having the two incomes, but I wasn't going to get my hopes up too high until I met the family.

Angela and Ben, two of my best friends from college, were all excited about our upcoming graduation. They were two years younger than me, a product of my cross-country move after getting my culinary degree, but from the moment that she and I met in our first gen-ed class, we became inseparable. The three of us were going out to dinner with their parents after the ceremony, which meant that the Cullens were taking me out to breakfast before the ceremony.

I'd been surprised that Carlisle and Esme were going to the ceremony considering that their family was arriving the day before, but Esme was insistent that they would not miss this important milestone in my life.

The day before my graduation, Carlisle called me while I was playing with the girls at the park, asking me to make a detour on the way home.

"Bella, Edward and the kids are at their new house and he said that he'd like to interview you today, if possible. The kids are only in town for a few days before they go on vacation with their mother, so it would be better to have you speak to him when you can also meet the children."

"Sure, Carlisle, let me just hop on the subway and we'll be there in about a half hour. I just need you to text me the exact address."

"Will do, Bella. See you in a while."

Gathering up our things, I walked with the girls to West 86th Street so we could get on the subway. Two trains and a short walk later, I was stopping in front of a gorgeous looking white brick brownstone. The three of us walked up the stairs and over to the side before ringing the doorbell to be let in. Carlisle opened the door, smiling as the girls babbled about the fun they'd had in the park until they saw their cousins and uncle, letting out shrieks as they ran towards their extended family.

Edward Cullen's jade eyes stared at me in the most disarming manner; his look was somewhere between annoyed and amused, and beside him stood a beautiful blonde teenager that would have killed me with her eyes if she were able to. His hair color was a shade lighter than Esme's warm brown hair, but his build and bone structure was the proof that he was Carlisle's brother. Carlisle noticed my frozen movements and brought me further into the living room and began the introductions.

"Bella, this is my brother, Edward Cullen. Edward this is Isabella Swan, but we all call her Bella."

"Isabella." His voice was professional, but cold and it had me reverting to my southern roots as I responded by calling him sir.

"Well, why don't I bring all the kids upstairs to Esme to show them their rooms while you two talk for a bit," Carlisle said before leading the kids over to the stairs.

"So," Mr. Cullen began, "you've worked for my brother for the last two years. Is being a nanny a long-term goal for you?"

Trying to hold in my annoyance, I responded honestly. "I have a lot of passions in life. I graduated from culinary school before I moved to New York, and tomorrow I graduate with a bachelor's degree in both creative writing and history. I've always loved writing, but it is a difficult industry, so having a steady job while I work on possibly being published someday is something I need. Working for Carlisle and Esme was great because I could schedule classes for the mornings and weekends and go to school during the summer, which allowed me to get my degree and support myself at the same time.

"Now that I'm graduating I will have more free time, and having another family to work for would make everything a lot easier. I can continue to work for Carlisle and Esme, in addition to working for you, and I will still have my evenings and free-time to write."

"My nieces are thirteen and eight, so I know that you'll be able to handle my nine year-old son, but do you have any experience with younger children?" Mr. Cullen asked and I took a deep breath.

"I helped my mom and step-father with my sister while I was in high school. So I was there with her from one day old until three and a half," I told him.

"You almost sound like you lost contact with your mother and her family after that," he commented and I felt the tears well up in my eyes as I answered quickly.

"They were killed in a car accident a week after I graduated high school. That was when I moved to Seattle to go to the Art Institute to study Culinary Arts like my mom had wanted. But I knew by the time I graduated that I wasn't cut out to be in a kitchen with all of the chauvinism and long hours for little pay. So I got into school in New York and moved here. It's been a long road, but I'm happy with where I am, and if I'm a good fit with you and your kids, I'd love to work for you."

"Isabella, I'm…I didn't mean to bring up what is obviously an emotional subject for you," Mr. Cullen said, finally showing a crack in his veneer. "Esme has told me how you're always cooking and playing with the girls, and Carlisle has told me about all of your certifications in case something happens. If they trust you with my nieces, I'm sure I can trust you with my brood, so how about we go upstairs and see how they respond to you."

"Can I ask a question before we go upstairs?" It was something that had been bugging me since I learned how old his children were, and I really needed to know.

"Of course."

"If your oldest daughter is fifteen, I'm not sure I understand why you would want a full-time nanny."

"Rosalie isn't responsible enough to look after her siblings. She's been a bit rebellious since she turned thirteen and the divorce has only made things worse. Plus, this is a new place for them and I'm going to be working a lot as I settle into my new position, so I don't want to have to worry about what's happening at my house. I need to know that my kids are safe and are following my rules when I'm not here. It's why Carlisle and Esme's driver will also be coming here to take Rosalie and Jasper to school. If you need the driver for anything specific, you can call and put it on the account." I could tell from how worn out he looked that she had definitely been the source of the few visible grey hairs and plenty of sleepless nights for him recently.

"That's understandable, it's a tough city for adults to learn, but they'll adapt to it. Speaking of that, how do you feel about public transportation? I'm asking because while we do use the car service with Charlotte and Tia at times, we usually just take the subway."

"How would you handle three to five kids on the subway?" Mr. Cullen asked.

"With Alice only being three, I'd use a stroller, there are times in the city when it's easier to have the option to strap them in, especially if we're walking around or playing at the park. She can sit in it when she gets tired and relax the whole way home. The others are old enough to walk without issues; they would just have to stay close and hold hands. But I wouldn't take them on public transportation unless I knew you were okay with it, and if I'm planning something specific, I could always give enough warning so that Jared could drive us."

"If you can keep them in check and they are okay on the train then it's okay with me." Mr. Cullen smiled as he gestured for us to take the elevator. "They're probably up on the third floor, so we should introduce you to the kids."

The ride was short, and the idea of having the elevator in the house was really neat, and it would help when trying to get three kids and their things down to the main level. We exited the elevator and the sounds of the kids playing in the main room of the floor instantly had me smiling. Tia saw me and dragged me over to where her cousins were playing and I quickly joined in. Looking at them now, Alice and Jasper were both the spitting image of their father, except for Jasper's brown eyes. Alice seemed a little shy, but when we started talking about going to see the turtles at the castle in the park, her face lit up as she told me about all of her princess toys.

Jasper was sitting off to the side of the room with a book on dinosaurs and I knew a quick way to get his attention.

"Hey Jasper, if you like dinosaurs, we'll have to go see the big exhibit they have at the American Museum of Natural History. They have a bunch of cool exhibits with animals and fish, and they have a planetarium there too."

His whole face lit up as he looked between his father and me. "Can we, Dad?"

"Sure, that sounds like a lot of fun, maybe Isabella can take you one day," he offered and I looked back up to see him watching us intently.

"Great, that means you're sticking us with her," Rosalie groaned, but Edward was already reprimanding her.

"We've discussed this, young lady, and there better be a significant shift in your attitude, because she will be your new nanny as soon as you get back from your trip. Isabella," Edward turned to me, "I think we should head down to my office so we can talk a little more."

Taking the stairs this time, we headed all the way to the basement, which was the only floor that didn't have elevator service.

"Okay, my younger two engaged you, which is more than they've done since the divorce proceedings began, and Rosalie had the anticipated reaction, but she will warm up to you in time. You seem capable of watching over a group that large, and I think with you already working for Carlisle it will be an easy fit. So here is what I'm offering. I need someone here in the mornings to get the kids off to school. As I said, Jared will drive them to school, so you won't have to worry about getting them further than the front door. Alice will be with you during the day and then after school the kids will be dropped off and you'll have all five of them until Esme or Carlisle get the girls and then I come home.

"Now, I realize that you'll need to do things during the day when you have Alice, and I respect that, I simply ask that you remember that you have to put her first and keep her from places that a child shouldn't be. Your nights and weekends will be your own unless I ask you to work extra, and if I do there will be compensation for that. All of this is covered in the contract I had drawn up in case this interview worked out, so you can read it over and if you feel the need to adjust anything, let me know."

"I will, but could you do me a favor and give me a list of the childrens' allergies and any medical conditions, oh and I'd like a set of your house rules, that way I know what I should be enforcing and what is okay for them to do," I asked and he smirked at me. This was definitely a far cry from the man I met upstairs an hour ago.

"Those are in there with the contract. And there's one more thing, and this is important, I'd like you moved in before the kids get back from their visit with their mother in three weeks."

What?


	2. Chapter 2

Can I just take a minute to say WOW! I mean...you guys have always been great to me, but with the week I was having last week, I needed the love you all gave me. My phone didn't stop chiming all weekend. I've got some big life changes coming in 2014, which I will be able to talk about once things finish settling down, but the first of many big weights has been lifted and it feels fantastic.

**PLEASE READ! Quite a few people have asked if they need to read both stories, and I wanted to answer this here since many more might be wondering and not asking, or just saying, "ehh, they're the same, right?" Now, while the plot is the same, as they're companion pieces, as two separate people of varying ages and life experiences, (Bella is 24, Edward is 34 at this point in the story) they're way of approaching and thinking about things will be different. Also, they have lives that don't intersect all that much, especially in the beginning, so there are moments that will be missed, and some funny side characters that will only make brief appearances in the other story, because they're a friend or coworker of either Bella or Edward. I try to keep overlapping dialogue to only needed moments and I think you'll enjoy both sides. But choosing not to read both is still an option if you prefer. Just pop over to the other POV if there are questions about why either Bella or Edward acts a certain way in the opposite POV, because there's a good chance the answer will be there.**

Once again thanks for the reviews, faves, follows, and to Mizzdee, my beta and wifey, for handing my the metaphorical paper bag and reminding me to breathe.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Chapter 2**

"I'm sorry, I thought you said you wanted me moved in here in three weeks." I laughed, but when I met his eyes, I could see he wasn't joking.

"Esme didn't tell you?" he asked sounding shocked.

"Tell me what?" I asked.

"During the week this is a live-in position. She renovated the fourth floor of the house for you. It has a private bath and a little kitchen as it was created to possibly be a legal apartment if necessary. It also has two terraces and is quite lovely; I'll show it to you before you leave. Now, I'm going to make a few calls to give you time so you can look over the contract." Edward stepped out and I looked over the information.

For the most part it was straightforward and very similar to the arrangement I had with Carlisle and Esme, but I would be working sixty hours a week. The car service could be called if I needed it beyond scheduled uses like taking the kids to and from school and during the week I would be staying at the house. My free time was my own, but he stated that I wasn't allowed to have men overnight at his house unless he approved of the visitor, which I completely understood. I had paid vacation and sick time, though he did request that I use their visitation weeks with his ex-wife for my vacations if at all possible. All in all it was very generous and as there was nothing hidden in the fine print, I didn't have any problem signing the contract.

I took my copy of the paperwork with me as he led me upstairs to what would be my room. Along the way he showed me the main floor with all the common spaces and a lovely verandah out past the kitchen and sun room. The second floor had his master suite and Alice's room, while the third floor had the media center/play room and Jasper and Rosalie's rooms.

As I climbed the stairs to the fourth floor I smiled at the little landing with a door with a lock, something I know Esme would have thought of when she redid this floor for me. I opened the door and gasped at what I saw. There was a single living area, much like my apartment in Little Italy, but Esme had used creative room dividers to break it up, and the bedroom area was on a platform with a wall coming out right in the center of the room, almost making it like a museum diorama with a sliding heavy curtain for some privacy. The main area did indeed include a little kitchen, not to mention a small table with four chairs. Even the living room area with the TV mounted to the wall and visible from both the bed and the couch was in the style I loved, something I'd discussed with Esme on many occasions. There were two large closets, one for clothing and another for general storage and the bathroom was a dream with a clawfoot tub and shower combination.

But that wasn't the best part. On either side of the building were a set of terraces that were mine. The one on the front of the building was set up with a small wrought iron table and various shrubs and flowers, giving me a great place to sit out and watch the bustle of the city, while the back half had two large glass doors and the top half of the back wall above the bedroom area was all the way to the fifteen foot ceiling were glass windows that let in a lot of light. Esme had situated my desk along that wall so I could easily look out the doors if I wanted to. She even set up a little area for me to put a sewing machine and dress form.

"Esme had to know that you were going to hire me, because this is exactly what I would have done with this space," I told Edward, who seemed to be waiting for my opinion. "When do the kids go to visit their mother?"

"They leave next week and will be gone two weeks, so they should be home just in time for my birthday." Edward pulled out his phone, checking something on the screen. "Yes, they fly back in the evening of the nineteenth. I'm just glad that Tanya kept that in mind when she planned the trip."

"It sounds like it was amicable," I ventured cautiously.

"She used to be my best friend, but we grew too far apart. But through the whole thing she kept the kids in the front of her mind. We may have been having problems, but the kids needed a stable parent and she wasn't able to be that. It was nice that she didn't fight me on that. Anyway, I'm going to let you go, as you have a very important day tomorrow." Edward once again led me down to the play room where I said goodbye to everyone and confirmed with Esme the breakfast reservation for tomorrow.

"Why does it sound like you made a reservation for all of us, Aunt Esme," Rosalie asked as she shot me another glare.

"Because this is an important day for Bella, and I thought that you would want to be there, and besides, it's a chance for us to be together as a family," Esme answered.

"But she's not family, she's just the help." I was shocked by her comment, but Edward was already leading her into her bedroom for a talk.

"I'm going to head home, but I will see you tomorrow."

Walking outside, I headed towards the subway and then picked up some take out on the way home. After calling Angela to tell her about my new job and joking around about the ice princess that Rosalie was channeling and Edward's yoyo mood today, I climbed into bed and vegged out watching TV for a few hours before I went to sleep.

The next morning I was running around trying to get everything ready. The ceremony was in Brooklyn, so Carlisle said that we would take two cars. Carlisle would drive us over in his SUV and Edward would take his family, but first we were stopping at Norma's for breakfast.

Esme had asked me to bring the kids to meet her there one Sunday for brunch, and it quickly became the place I treated myself to when I wanted to celebrate something. The food was amazing and I was excited that Esme planned for us to come here today.

The children were all talking over one another about what they wanted to eat while I talked to Esme about moving into the brownstone. She started discussing shopping trips and organizing what would stay at my apartment and what would go to the room at Edward's, which quickly had me talking her down from a weekend in Soho and Nolita as she helped me shop for my new wardrobe. It was one of the few things that I didn't like about my job, I was representing the Cullen's when I was watching the kids, so I needed nicer clothes, which didn't last when you're chasing paint stained munchkins.

Jasper called my name from across the table, so I turned my attention to him. "When are we meeting your mom and dad, Bella?"

I swallowed past the lump in my throat as I looked to Esme before meeting Jasper's eyes again. "My dad is a police man and he lives all the way on the other side of the country, so he couldn't come today, and my mom died when I was in high school."

The table got quiet for a minute before Tia reached over to squeeze my hand, sensing my unease. Carlisle caught Jasper's attention, asking him about a book he had been reading and soon the table had all but forgotten about the awkwardness that had been sitting there.

We made small talk while we ate and then to my surprise Edward picked up the check before the four of us got the kids out to the car and made the drive to Brooklyn.

The ceremony was crowded, but as I left the Cullens to find seats, Angela grabbed my wrist and pulled me off to put on my cap and gown and get into position.

"Who is that fine piece of man candy talking to Carlisle?" she asked as Ben just shook his head.

"Right here, sweetheart," he teased but Angela just waved her hand in his direction.

"Honey, you know I love you, but he is so fine, I'd fuck him on top of you," she said, earning a few stares from the people around us. "Now, 'splain Lucy?"

"That's Edward Cullen, my new boss, and his kids."

"Your new boss? Is he a Broadway producer with a butler that is already scheming to get you two together?" She smirked and I took my gown from her, draping it over my shoulders as I stomped away from her.

"You are insane, and referencing the Nanny doesn't make you cool," I called out as she followed me.

"Bella, that man is checking you out in his sly little way. I thought you said he was a little cold towards you yesterday? Did you warm him up, or was it that dress that put that smile on his face."

"Angela, you have no idea what you're talking about. This is my job, one I would like to keep so if you could stop making obscene comments about him, I'd appreciate it."

"Fine," she pouted, "I'll stop until you need to talk about all the sexual tension that you'll be dealing with once you get to know him better."

"You're impossible," I muttered as we found our spot and settled in.

The ceremony itself was long and boring, and I felt bad for the kids, but if I knew Esme, she had something to keep them occupied so only the adults were bored during the proceedings.

When it was finally time to get our diplomas, we stood up and handed in our name and degree information so that by the time we walked across the stage the announcer had it. I heard some cheers as I took my diploma, a blush flooding my cheeks as the tears welled up in my eyes. I'd never had that many people cheering for me, even if half of them were going through the motions at the moment.

The ceremony wrapped up and we waded through the crowds trying to find the Cullens and Ang and Ben's families. Charlotte was the first to spot me, running over at a full sprint and wrapping her arms around my middle.

"Bella, I'm so proud of you! I can't wait until I can go to college." Charlotte was my little scholar, and I was sure she would get accepted anywhere she wanted to go.

"Thanks, Lottie, and you'll get to walk across the stage at your graduation next year, so you'll get your first taste of celebrating a big milestone then." I smiled down at her just as the other kids made their approach. Well, almost all of them.

Tia and Jasper both gave me big hugs while Alice held out her arms to be picked up. Knowing that was likely a big step for her, I lifted her onto my hip and looked around to see Edward smiling at the two of us.

"Congratulations, Isabella."

"Thank you, Mr.-" I started, because he'd never said I could call him Edward, but he cut me off before I could finish it.

"It's Edward, and you're welcome," he said as Rosalie huffed at his side.

Esme and Carlisle both gave me one-armed hugs as I still had Alice attached to my hip, and then turned to greet my friends.

"Angela, it's so good to see you again," Esme gushed as she pulled her into a hug, passing her along to Carlisle while she hugged Ben.

"Edward, these are my two best friends, Angela Weber and Ben Cheney. Guys, this is Edward Cullen, Carlisle's brother and my new boss."

"It's nice to meet you both, and congratulations on your graduation," Edward said genuinely.

"Nice to meet you too, Sir, and this must be little Alice," Angela cooed. "We've heard all about you and Jasper and Rosalie."

Leaning in to hand Alice back to Edward, I whispered, "Just so you know, Ben and Angela are getting engaged tonight, even though she doesn't know it yet, so I wanted to ask permission for Ben to be at the house. He's like a brother to me and there wouldn't be anything for you to worry about with the kids."

"That's fine, he seems like a nice young man and Esme and Carlisle obviously let him around the girls. Thank you for telling me about it before I walked in one night to see him on my couch with his shoes kicked off."

"I told you that I'd respect your rules, and I meant that. Now we better get going, can't keep the Pastor waiting," I said, placing a kiss on Alice's forehead.

"Pastor?" Edward blanched.

"She means my dad," Angela explained. "He's a Lutheran minister out on Long Island."

"Oh wait, we have to get pictures before you leave." Esme organized us quickly for a few shots before they eventually waved us off.

"That man has it bad for you, B," Angela whispered as we found where her parents and brothers were waiting.

"There you are," Pastor Weber called out. "We almost sent a search party out for you." With a round of laughter, we started taking even more photos and then the nine of us got on the subway to make our way to our dinner reservation.

Lee Cheney, Ben's dad, had gotten us a table at Tony DiNapoli's for an early dinner, which was a family style Italian place in the heart of Times Square that we loved.

Every adult at the table knew what was going to happen during dessert, but as we ordered our food for the table and enjoyed the celebration, no one was letting on what was coming.

For nearly two hours we laughed and joked and carried on like a big family, something both the Cheney's and the Weber's had always included me in when they were aroun. But everyone grew quiet as Ben pushed back his strawberry cheesecake and turned to Angela.

"Ang, babe, we've been together since the day I literally tripped over you in Penn Station, and in those four years all the love I feel for you has only grown. You always keep me guessing and I can't think of a better way to spend the rest of my life than trying to figure out what you're going to say next. Angela Weber, will you marry me?"

"Yes," she whispered, a true sign of her shock.

Ben slipped the ring out of the tiny box and onto her finger, sharing a kiss with her as the restaurant erupted into cheers and applause. As I watched my two best friends celebrate their engagement, I couldn't help but smile at the fact that today was a new start for us all.


	3. Chapter 3

******You guys have once again blown me away. Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad that you're enjoying both stories. No long note today, just some love for Mizzdee for her hard work and constant support. **

******Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Chapter 3**

With Charlotte and Tia still in school for a few more weeks, I had plenty of time to go over what I would need to move into my new place. I had managed to steer Esme out of a trip to the boutiques in Lower Manhattan by telling her that Ang and I needed a girls day to talk about the wedding and we decided to hit up the sales that Victoria Secret and New York and Company were having as part of a big summer event.

I had been by the brownstone with Esme the day after my graduation to check it out more thoroughly so that I could see what I needed, because besides basic furnishing, it needed a bunch of finishing touches. Esme had offered to help, but I told her that I'd like to get things a little at a time as I could afford them.

So the day before Edward's kids left on vacation with their mother, I was digging through the shelves of jeans, trying to find a few more in my size so I could move onto the crop pants and shorts, because evidently they weren't called capris anymore.

"You know, I don't understand why you need a whole new wardrobe just because you're living with the DILF?" Ang whispered as she stood there dutifully holding my every growing pile.

"It isn't because of that, Angela; I need to replace what I have because they're starting to get tattered. I can wear whatever I want, but I have to look presentable. How would it look if I walked into the design office with the kids and I was wearing ripped jeans and a crummy shirt?"

"Like you spend your day chasing after children?" Angela fired back.

"This is more my own desire to look more professional as their nanny than them telling me I have to dress a certain way."

"Doesn't hurt that you'll be making more money now," she offered.

"Or that I'm smart and I wait for the sale to replace my well worn jeans."

"Okay, enough stalling, let's get you some new tops and a few skirts and dresses before we head down the street to Victoria's Secret," Angela said, flagging down a sales girl to put my purchases behind the counter until I was done and then dragging me to the other part of the store.

An hour later, we had moved down to Victoria's Secret where I was picking out new bras, undies, and pajamas.

"Have you heard back from any of the places you applied yet?" I asked as we searched the drawers for my size.

"Not yet, but I'm still applying. Ben heard from Clearwater and Company, he's really excited about that, even with an entry level position, he respects that agency so moving up to work on the advertising would be something he would love."

"Hey, he has to start somewhere, and if they like him, he could learn a lot from who he's working for," I said. It isn't like you started as an executive.

"That's what I said, and he's a computer nerd to boot, so he will be great if they want to tie in social media to a campaign."

"And you'll find something, soon, I have faith," I told her.

"I hope so, because we have to get out of our apartment by mid-August. Our lease ends then and since we aren't students anymore, we can't resign."

"Let me talk to Esme, I'm sure she can figure something out, or you can sublet my place if there's nothing else out there for you when August rolls around." I wouldn't let them wind up back at their parents' places, commuting a ridiculous distance to work in the city if that's where they were employed, if I could help it.

"We're looking into places as well; we have two months so we'll just have to see." Angela shrugged as my phone rang.

"Bella, do you have plans for tomorrow?" Esme asked, sounding a little frazzled.

"Well, the kids are leaving for their trip with their mother tomorrow, so I was going to start to bring things over tomorrow evening, but I have to call Edward to find out what time he's home since he hasn't given me my set of keys yet," I told her and she sighed.

"Edward told me that he needed dishware and cutlery, but he never said anything about pots and pans or appliances, so he needs me to stock the kitchen but I don't know everything that he should have. And then I thought about the fact that you'll probably be cooking ninety percent of the meals in there so I should ask the trained chef to help me."

Laughing, I quickly responded. "Sure, Esme, I'll go shopping with you, just let me know what the budget is and I'll let you know where we should go shopping."

"He's pretty open to me spending what I need to, so we can have some fun. Where are you now?"

"Shopping for clothes with Angela," I answered.

"Don't forget a bathing suit or three for our trip; you're coming with us to the summer house, right?"

"If Edward's coming, then definitely, but otherwise I may be in the city with him," I explained and she snorted a laugh.

"Edward and the kids will be with us, so buy something cute, no shapeless one piece," Esme teased.

"Will do, boss lady, see you tomorrow around ten?" I asked.

"Perfect, tell Angela I said hi."

Hanging up, I turned to Angela. "We need to get me a few bathing suits."

"Yes, oh, I'm going to have so much fun with you," Angela said as I tried to hold back the groan and tried to get at least a few tankinis.

After the shopping trip, I returned to my apartment and finished packing. I'd called Esme again and she had a few friends who might be able to help Ben and Angela, but first they needed an income. In the meantime, they could sublet my place if they needed to, so I packed up almost all of my stuff, deciding it was better to have my stuff in one place, and pack a bag if and when I spent weekends in Little Italy. I wasn't ready to talk to Esme about giving up the apartment yet, in case something went wrong working for Edward. I still couldn't get a proper feel for him, sometimes he was welcoming, but other times, he'd get a look in his eyes and then he'd become cold.

Esme had decided to drive because we would be buying enough to make trying to do anything else foolish. I had a list of the types of appliances I could get once I had a better idea of my real budget, as well as pots, pans, and other necessities I would need to play in that amazing kitchen. We stopped by Edward's office so that I could get my keys and alarm code, and I was surprised to see us walking into Clearwater and Company, seeing as Angela had only brought it up yesterday.

"All right, Isabella, here is your alarm code and your keys. This is the doorknob, the deadbolt, and your bedroom key," he said, pointing out each one. "Do you have any questions?"

"Yes, but not about that, it's about the shopping trip for your kitchen. Esme keeps saying that there isn't a limit on what I can pick out, but you have to give me some ceiling, because I feel weird buying whatever I want just because you told Esme to have fun," I admitted.

"Isabella, you can spend what you need to, to get the things you deem necessary. You're the one who will be cooking there, so if some fancy gadget will make cooking for the kids easier, then by all means, buy it."

"Okay, then maybe I'll see you this evening?" I offered, before he stopped me.

"I doubt it. I will be staying late since I dropped the kids off at the airport this morning to meet Tanya for their visitation," he said.

"Oh," I said, feeling stupid for being hopeful.

"I can give you a hand moving tomorrow, if you need it. We can use my SUV to make a few trips." This offer seemed a little more sincere and I smiled in response.

"That would be great. I live above Esme's office on the third floor of her building, so you can pick me up whenever. I'll be up early going over last minute things," I told him, earning a smile in return.

"I'll see you around nine-thirty, that way most of the rush-hour traffic will be done," he confirmed and I nodded. "Great, see you then."

Walking out of the office, Esme and I made our way past the outer office where I saw Ben sitting with a group of waiting applicants. Waving on our way out, Esme and I got down to business.

It took hours of traversing the city, but we finally had everything I'd need. I cringed a few times at the totals, wondering if I really needed everything I'd picked out, but every time my face lit up, Esme bought the item. With a stop by my apartment to pick up most of my clothes, we drove to the brownstone to unload.

I took the elevator up and just left my clothing upstairs for the time being, knowing that it would be better to set up the kitchen before Edward got home. I washed all the cookware and bakeware, putting them in the cabinets before moving on to the appliances. There were a couple of long cabinets that were empty, so I used one of them to store most of the appliances until I needed them, preferring that only the staples like the toaster oven, toaster, stand mixer, and coffee maker be out all the time.

Esme watched me methodically put things away and organize as I went, mentally making up a shopping list and wondering how groceries would work. Esme had most of hers delivered, allowing me to add to her list so whatever I needed was there, but with me being a live-in, that might be part of my job. I would have to ask Edward.

When I was finally satisfied with the state of the kitchen, Esme and I made another trip to the apartment, loading up about half of what was left. Edward would only need to make one trip with me tomorrow, and that made me happy, even though he offered, I felt better knowing that I wouldn't be wasting his day.

Esme left shortly after so that she could meet the girls, as she was giving me the afternoon off since she wasn't busy with any clients, allowing me the time to unpack.

I got the clothes put away and organized my desk and sewing supplies, even though my dress form was still back at the apartment until tomorrow. I hadn't realized how late it was until there was a knock on my door.

Letting Edward in, he looked around and smiled. "You were busy today."

"Yeah, Esme and I got my clothes on our way back from shopping and then did another run this afternoon, so I've spent the last few hours getting settled."

"Well, it will be nice to have coffee in the morning, so thank you for getting us the coffee machine," he joked.

"Edward, am I going to be doing the grocery shopping? I don't mind, but it wasn't covered when we first talked and I didn't know what you wanted to do."

"Like with the kitchenware, you'll be cooking much more than I will. So if you want to order it to be delivered, that's fine, if you want to go out shopping, I can give you money or we can get a reloadable credit card so I don't have to guess how much you need. I'll just leave you a list of anything I'd like and you can add it to your own list."

"I prefer to go to the store, so however you want to handle the money is your call," I told him.

"I'll set up the credit card, but for tomorrow, we can go together and stock up," Edward said, smirking at me in a way that warmed me. Maybe he was more relaxed around me when I was another adult, as opposed to his employee. "Oh, and you'll probably get a call tonight, but Ben was hired as an assistant for my department today."

"Oh my god, that will be such a relief for them," I said, releasing a breath as Edward looked around again.

"Well, I'm going to head downstairs, but since you're staying here, we can-"

"I was planning on heading back to Little Italy," I interrupted.

"But you've been running around all day, I'm sure you're tired," Edward countered.

"I'll be fine, if it makes you feel better, I can text you when I get home. That's what I usually do with Esme and Carlisle," I offered him so that he would stop freaking out about me going home for the night.

"I don't like it. It's half the reason that this is a live-in position. I knew I would worry about whoever I hired getting home after their day." Looking at Edward, I had a feeling this wasn't a battle that I'd win tonight, and I suddenly had no desire to fight him, the fact that he was being protective of me had that irrational part of me that was attracted to him doing cartwheels.

"Fine, but don't get used to this. I'm usually a very stubborn person, Edward."

"I'll take what I can, Isabella, goodnight," Edward said as he closed my door and left me to finish what I had left to organize so that I'd be able to start fresh in the morning with the rest of my stuff.

I woke up the next morning, slightly disoriented until I remembered that I'd stayed at the brownstone at Edward's request. I was surprised how much his insistence that I not take the subway after the long day of shopping and moving still affected me. I mean, it wasn't that I was surprised that he would be worried considering he was new to the city, but the look in his eyes was something I couldn't place, so I relented to ease his mind.

Making my bed and pulling the curtain, I threw on a pair of yoga pants and a tee shirt, knowing I would be sweating by the third trip down to the car. I took the stairs down to the main level in desperate need of coffee. What I found was Edward sitting at the island, with a mug in hand, clearly needing the caffeine as badly as I did.

"That smells like heaven," I said, walking over to the coffee machine.

"It is," he responded. "Kona coffee is some of the best in the world, which is why I order it online to be shipped straight from Hawaii. It's a small price to pay in the long run."

Taking my first sip of the delicious brew, I moaned. "That is so worth it."

"Yes it is," Edward agreed. "Now, we can pick up some bagels on the way over if you like, because I truly have nothing in the kitchen at the moment."

"Sounds like a plan," I told him.

"Great, so after you finish your coffee you can run up and change and then we'll be ready to go," Edward said, instantly causing me to look down at my clothes.

"Uhh…okay, I'll bring this up with me and just take care of that," I mumbled as I headed for the elevator, allowing it to take me upstairs as I nursed my coffee. I guess it was a good thing that I'd gone shopping the other day, because obviously my loungewear wasn't appropriate attire to Edward.

Switching out my tee and pulling on a pair of jeans, I threw on a pair of sneakers and put my hair up into a ponytail.

I grabbed my purse and returned downstairs, finding an ashamed Edward in the kitchen when I went to put my mug in the dishwasher. "Isabella, I'm sorry if I insulted you. You have to understand that I've spent fifteen years married to a woman who wouldn't leave the house without nearly an hour in the bathroom, so having someone be comfortable going out dressed casually has become a foreign concept to me."

"Don't worry, Edward. We're both going to have to find our footing around each other," I told him truthfully, not knowing how to react to him half the time myself.

"Right, well, are you ready to get on the road?"


	4. Chapter 4

******I'm posting a day early because I may not be near my computer much tomorrow, hope you enjoy the chapter. Sassycook was the 25th reviewer on TWCS, and Taylor9901 wrote review 50 on ffn. Love to you all for your sweet reviews, all the extra time I have on my hands is very soon going to result in more writing time, which I know you will appreciate. Mizzdee is my better half, and she knows how to keep me motivated. (Mainly she dangles her own plot points in front of me and then tells me I have to write with her to see them before the chapter is done...it is VERY effective!)**

******Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Chapter 4**

Agreeing that we could leave, Edward and I walked down the street to the parking garage that housed his car and made our way to Little Italy after our pit stop. It took us a while between carrying the last of my things down to his SUV and locking up, but by eleven thirty we were double parked outside the brownstone while we got my things into the entryway.

"Don't try to lift them into the elevator, I'll be back in a couple," Edward said as I locked the front door and then found the lighter boxes and pushed my dress form into the elevator and rode up to my floor.

I propped open the door and slid the boxes into my little loft, putting them in the areas they would later be unpacked into. There was a great built-in bookshelf near where Esme put my desk, and another one that sat under my TV, giving me room for both electronic equipment and knick knacks if I wanted to.

Returning downstairs for the books and the small amount of kitchen stuff that hadn't made it upstairs from our shopping trip yesterday, Edward helped me get the last of my belongings up and then offered to help me unpack.

"For now, maybe we should do the shopping, since the car is parked on the street for the moment. That way you can put it back in the garage and then we can relax."

"Okay," he agreed, locking up before we slid into his car and headed to the grocery store.

Shopping with Edward was an adventure. We had started at the regular supermarket so that we could get things that Whole Foods wouldn't have, namely junk food and other staples that were just too expensive to get there. I knew the store so we made it out of there easily, but Whole Foods was where it got interesting. I had us each take a cart here just like in D'Agostinos and then went through each section, going through my huge list all the while avoiding what we didn't need to go past. By the time we were picking out vegetables and fruit, I thought he was starting to regret this trip.

"What else do we need?" Edward asked in a thinly veiled whine.

"All that's left is the meat counter," I told him as I turned my cart, leading him towards our final destination.

Twenty minutes later we were at the checkout line, racking up a total that almost made me hyperventilate until Edward handed over his credit card. "This wasn't normal, right?"

I looked at him a little shocked and then shook my head. "No, you had nothing in the house; it shouldn't be anywhere near this high normally."

"Then breathe," he teased me. "We need to eat."

"Yes, and since we're having cold cuts for lunch, I'm making us something nice for dinner."

"You're not working these next two weeks, Isabella. You don't have to take care of me," he said.

"I finally have someone else to cook for, let me be excited about this," I pleaded and he smiled back.

"Fine, I'm looking forward to it."

We worked together to load up the car, and then unload it back at the house, leaving me to put away the perishable stuff before I started organizing the pantry cabinets. Edward didn't come back to the kitchen, so I made a sandwich when I was done and moved on to unpack my books.

I focused on getting the last of the boxes emptied in the early afternoon, and by the time I needed to head down to start dinner, I was officially moved into the top floor of the brownstone.

Edward was still nowhere in sight, so I looked at the pantry shelves and tried to find something for dinner. I'd bought plenty of stuff to stock the freezer with while I had the free time over the next two weeks, but not wanting to start any of that tonight I decided on bourbon chicken with Spanish rice.

Getting the ingredients out, I cut up the chicken and browned it before I started making the sauce. The rice would take a while to cook through, so I put that on and then focused on what I was doing. I was in my own little world when Edward reappeared, so his voice startled me.

"That smells fantastic," he said, making me jump. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, I drifted off for a bit, but dinner's almost ready if you want to get yourself a drink."

"Can I get you anything?" he asked and I pointed to my glass.

"Yeah, if you could just refill my Spite, that would be great," I said, spooning out the Spanish rice into a bowl and then pouring the chicken into a second one. I sat them both on the island and pulled out plates and silverware before joining Edward to dish up our food.

Popping a piece of chicken in his mouth, he moaned before saying, "Wow, this is amazing. What is it?"

"Bourbon chicken and Spanish rice," I answered as I had a forkful of my rice.

"Well, with food like this, it's a good thing Esme put in a small gym for me in the man cave, because I will have to burn off a lot of calories," Edward joked and I couldn't hide my blush at the compliment.

"Thanks, there aren't a lot of people who get to enjoy my cooking, so the compliment is very welcome," I admitted and he looked around the kitchen.

"Do you have any plans for the next two weeks, considering that you'll only be watching the girls?"

"Well, tomorrow I'm making a bunch of food that I can freeze for when the kids are back, and Monday Angela's going to come over in the morning so that we can look through some wedding magazines and look for apartments for her and Ben now that they have at least one income until she gets hired. She's applying at a bunch of different accounting firms and accounting departments for companies, but she hasn't had any responses yet."

"I'm sure it will all work out for her, and it's sweet of you to worry about her and Ben. I take it you're very close?" Edward asked.

"We are. Angela is like my sister and Ben's one of my best friends. I was alone in this city before them, trying to escape Florida and Washington and live on my own. The two of them and your family have really taken care of me the past few years and I'm so grateful for all of them," I told him.

"I can tell by how much my nieces talk about you that you're important to them too. My children need that kind of fun in their lives," Edward whispered a little wistfully.

"And what do you need, Edward?" I turned his statement around.

"A fresh start," he said.

I watched Edward for a moment and I could see that he was struggling with something. Maybe it was his identity as a newly-divorced single father, or it might have been something deeper, but I knew better than to push. Finishing up my dinner, I put the rest of the rice and chicken in a Tupperware and stuck it in fridge before taking the pans and scrubbing them, placing the plates and other dishes in the dishwasher until it was full enough to run.

"I'm going to head upstairs; I'll see you tomorrow, Edward."

"Goodnight, Isabella," Edward called back as he walked down into the basement to presumably go back to whatever work he had been doing before dinner.

I turned on a movie when I got back into my room and shot off a text to Angela, confirming that she was coming by on Monday after Ben had gone to his new job.

_How did you know?_ Angela texted back a minute later.

_Insider info from the management…I'll explain it if he doesn't._ I shot back before hitting play to lose myself in a mindless comedy for the night.

I didn't see much of Edward over the next few days; coffee would be waiting for me when I woke up in the morning, and he would appear in the kitchen just before dinner was finished, but for the most part my days were my own.

I cooked up a storm, filling the freezer with ready to cook meals and even playing around with the new ice cream maker I bought. The first time Edward had the strawberry ice cream I'd made, I thought he was going to kiss me; he seemed so excited about it.

Angela hung out with me in the mornings while we waited for the girls to get out of school, and then Jared would swing by and pick us up on the way to Carlisle and Esme's. The girls had made a whole list of things that they wanted to do with their cousins, and Esme was quick to bankroll the excursions by putting some extra money on the card she'd given me to use when I was taking the girls' places.

Angela found out about those and she looked at me confused. "Are you telling me that half of your credit cards are pre-paid from your bosses? I want that life."

"It isn't so glamorous, Ang. The money buys groceries and tickets to the zoo," I told her.

"Whatever, you have two places to live and I'm trying to figure out…what the hell?" Angela started clicking away on her laptop and I ran to the side of the island she was sitting on.

"What is it?"

"The firm I interned for is hiring. I'm sending them my application to see what might come out of it."

"Any luck on apartments at all?" I asked.

"Yes, we can get a great two bedroom in Brooklyn, but I check everyday hoping that something will come up. We can just barely afford the rent on Ben's pay, but if I'm working then it will be that much easier."

"It'll work out, Angela." I pat her shoulder just as my phone rang.

"Hello," I said into the phone as soon as I saw Tia's school number pop up.

"Miss Swan, this is Nurse Beverly, Tia came into the office feeling sick and she's got a temperature. Would you or one of her parents be able to pick her up?"

"Yes, I just need to make a few calls to arrange it, but someone will be there to get her soon."

Angela packed up and left for the day, while I called Jared, thankful that he wasn't busy. Soon he was picking me up as we drove to get Tia. My poor girl looked so tired when I went in to sign her out, but it wasn't long before she was tucked into bed, Lottie coming home and reading quietly so she didn't disturb her sister.

The second week of Edward's kids' vacation passed much the same as the first. School ended for Charlotte and Tia on Wednesday, so we spent Thursday hanging out before their cousins returned on Friday.

Edward took Friday off so that he could meet the kids at the airport and spend the day with them, so I took the opportunity to take my girls grocery shopping for some stuff for the meal I was cooking tomorrow.

"Bella, you don't know what you're cooking yet? You always know what you're making way in advanced for special occasions," Lottie questioned me as we walked through Whole Foods.

"Yes, but I know what you guys like. Your uncle has been eating what I cook because it's food in the house, but I don't know what he prefers."

"Mom says that Uncle Eddie is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, but you have to make him something special."

"Chili," Tia cheered, no doubt remembering the last time I made it for them, as we walked past the meat counter and I was suddenly pulling out the moleskin I had filled with recipes that I brought along for when I decided on something.

"Do you think he'll like it?"

"Yeah, he'll totally love it," Charlotte said as she started clapping and running over to the area where the butcher was waiting to take special requests.

It took a while to get everything together, but by the time I got back to the brownstone, the sounds of a full house were evident. Jasper and Alice ran over to give me a hug and I told them to go up with their cousins to hear all about our plans for this summer and all the fun things they'd get to see.

"That looks like a lot of groceries for someone who just went shopping on Tuesday," Edward teased as he tried to sneak a peek in the bag.

"Well, I didn't know what I was making for tomorrow night on Tuesday, but the girls helped me out with the perfect birthday dinner," I told him, closing the bag he was starting to dig through.

"No fair," he pouted.

"No peeking," I shot back with a smirk as I moved to put the meat in the fridge.

As I lay out the various vegetables so I could begin my prep for tomorrow, Edward moved in closer. "Isabella, you didn't have to plan a big dinner for me."

"Yes I did. We do it for everyone on their birthday, and now that you and the kids are here, it just means we have more birthdays to celebrate. I don't mind it, Edward. I went to school for it, and it's nice to celebrate with a big family." I failed to hold in the sigh, and Edward noticed it.

"Just know that I appreciate it, and tomorrow is Saturday, which means that it's your day off. Special dinner aside, you don't have to watch the kids. I'll be hanging out here with them all day."

"I'll keep that in mind." I spent a little while doing the prep work I could, mincing the mountain of garlic, onions, and tomatoes, packaging them up until tomorrow. Making sure everything was set, I moved onto the tres leches cake.

Edward had all the younger kids up in the play room, so when Rosalie came down alone, I had a feeling this was going to be a little bit of a pissing contest.

"Listen, Bella, my siblings may need a nanny, but I grew up on the streets of Chicago, so why don't we make a deal. I'll beat my dad home nights, and you don't try and keep track of me. How does that sound?" she sneered at me, thinking she'd won.

"Rosalie, that attitude right there is exactly why your father thinks you need a nanny. And you didn't grow up on the 'streets of Chicago,' you had a driver, just like you will here. Now, I'm going to make you a deal, and you will take it. You don't like me; that much you've made perfectly clear. But I won't have your behavior put your siblings or your cousins at risk by mouthing off when we're out somewhere. The other kids want to get to see the city this summer, and knowing some of the fun things to do might help you fit in better when you start school in the fall, so when we go out, you will stick with us and not argue with me. You'll help me and hold your brother's hand and we'll enjoy the parks and the museums and all the fun things there are to do around here. And when we're home most days, if you want to lock yourself in your room, all I'll ask is that you follow your father's rules and not be disruptive. If you want to do things with me, that would be great, but I'm not here to force myself on you." I matched her glare until we both heard the throat clearing behind us.

"Is there a problem here?" Edward asked.

"No," Rosalie answered. "Bella was just telling me that she'll need me to help her keep the little kids together when we go around the city."

"I'm glad that you're willing to help her, it makes me proud to see you acting like a mature young lady." Edward grinned as she muttered her goodbye on her way past him up the stairs. "I want you to tell me immediately if she acts up, especially if it might endanger the others. They're a large group to take out on your own."

"Alice will be in her stroller and Jasper's one more. Lottie can hold both his and Tia's hands if necessary. Sometimes making kids like Rosalie think they're a second caregiver will cause them to be more responsible," I explained.

"I trust your judgment, and just so you know," he leaned in to whisper, "that cake smells delicious."

Shivering at his proximity and the playfulness that had crept up a bit in the last two weeks, I went on to make the special butter for the cornbread the next day. When I was finished for the night, the butter was complete, the cake was under glass on the counter and all of the prep for the chili was done. Tomorrow would be a long day of cooking, but it was worth it if the Cullens had a nice day.


	5. Chapter 5

******Sorry for this being so late today, but I was having problems signing on to ffn most of the day and it finally let me get on so I could get to the loaded doc. Hope everyone who celebrates had a Merry Christmas, and to everyone else, I hope your hump day was fun. Here's Edward's birthday, let's see if all of you were right about 35 being a great year! I'm off to relax after all of the festivities. Mizzdee, thank you for my birthday fic, I'm super excited for the conclusion!**

******Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Chapter 5**

June twentieth started with a quick shower and a trip downstairs to start the coffee. I was just about to get the stuff ready to set up the fire pit to smoke the meat when I heard Alice come down the stairs.

"Beya." She yawned, wiping the sleep out of my eyes.

"Morning, Alice," I said, picking her up as she hugged me.

"I told mommy aalll about you. She was happy that you're a nice lady," Alice said as she looked around the kitchen.

"Well, thank you, Sweetheart. Now, would you like to help me make breakfast?"

"We make breakfast for daddy's birfday," she said with a huge smile, so I quickly agreed.

"What do you want to make him for breakfast?" I asked.

"Smiley eggs," she told me.

"Alice, I don't know what smiley eggs are," I told her and she pulled my face down to her level.

"Simple, put the bacon like this," she took her pointer and middle fingers and made them like a smile, and then held her hands open over her eyes, "and the sunny eggs like this."

"Okay, that we can do. Now I'm going to sit you on the counter, and I need you to stay really still to help me."

Nodding, Alice sat back on the counter and let me get out the eggs. I wasn't much of a breakfast person, happy with a bagel and coffee, so I popped one in while I put in some toast for Edward.

"Can I have bagel too?" Alice asked and I smiled, taking another half of bagel and dropping it into the toaster.

Digging through all of the things that Esme and I had bought while shopping for the kitchen, I found the tray and sat it on the counter. The bacon was frying and I put two sunny side up eggs into the pan, letting it cook while I put cream cheese on our bagels and we ate while the food finished cooking.

The coffee was finished, so I poured two mugs, fixing them both before plating the food and buttering Edward's toast. With a glass of OJ to round off the meal, I put Alice back on the floor and moved the pans away from the edge until I could come down to clean up.

We headed upstairs, her running just ahead of me as she jumped up onto the bed to wake Edward. "Daddy, happy birfday!"

"Alice, baby, what time is it?" He started reaching around for his clock, so I answered to make my presence known.

"It's just after eight," I said, causing him to sit up and reveal his very firm abs and chest.

"Isabella? What's that?" he asked, still clouded with sleep.

"Smiley eggs, we made them," Alice told him as I brought them over and sat her back on the floor so Edward could get situated with his meal.

"I'm sorry that she made you cook my breakfast-" he started to apologize, but I cut him off.

"Don't even sweat it, Edward. She was so cute wanting to make you a special birthday breakfast, and she sat right where I put her while I made it so she wouldn't get burned. Alice is my little helper."

"Okay, well I've got her now so you can head off to do whatever you had been before she decided to make me breakfast," Edward said and I smiled, saying bye to both of them and heading downstairs.

Using the opportunity, I built up the fire pit first, creating the smoker I would need before working on the dishes. When the temperature was getting close, I took out the brisket and short ribs and rubbed them down with the spices before putting them on the grate to start smoking them.

While that was cooking, I made the cornbread and then went to grab my computer to sit outside and write a little. The house was awake and everyone was picking around for something for lunch by the time I was moving the meat into the oven to braise. It was another couple of hours checking that and playing around on my computer when Edward walked over.

"This seems like it's a lot of trouble," he said.

"It can be, but it's worth it, and it makes enough to freeze some and have it later," I explained as there was a knock on the door and Edward went to let in Esme, Carlisle, and the girls.

"Is that chili I smell?" Carlisle called out as he saw me moving back to the stove.

"Yes, and I'm just about to start putting it together," I told him.

Throwing the first ingredients into the large pot, I shredded the meat and then added it and the tomatoes in, covering it with beer and stock and letting it reduce before adding some more. Everyone set up the dining room around me, letting me finish up the chili until it was time to serve. With the lime honey butter and the cornbread, we took our seats and the kids started to add the cheddar cheese to their bowls.

Moans of appreciation filled the room as everyone dug in and Edward's eyes found mine as he mouthed 'thank you.' I was happy he liked it, because there were plenty of leftovers.

Dinner was spent joking around and telling stories, and once the meal was done, Esme helped me clean up while the kids gathered to give Edward his presents.

"I'm so glad that everything is working out with you here, Bella. They need you to take care of them…even Edward."

"I'm happy to help, and now that he's opened up a little I'm not walking around wondering what I did to upset him," I said and she nodded knowingly.

"Edward is a little difficult to get to open up, but it seems the time alone with him has helped that."

"Yeah, he's a great guy," I said as Jasper came over to bring us over to the table.

"Dad's almost done with presents, and then it's time for cake," Jasper cheered as we watched Edward open an iPad from Esme.

"You're supposed to use that only for fun, play games and stuff, no work on that machine," Esme warned as he laughed.

"I promise," Edward said as he sat it down and watched me carry over the cake.

Edward blew out the candles and we cut the cake into slices so that we could eat it before Carlisle and Esme took the kids home. Dessert was almost over when my cell phone rang, so I hopped up to get it off the counter.

"Hey Bella," Seth said as soon as I answered.

"Seth, what's up?" I asked as I felt the eyes of the table on me.

"Not much, Charlie's been trying to get a hold of you but he never seems to get you."

"Is he calling my cell? Because I haven't had any messages."

"No he was calling the apartment," Seth said.

"Oh, well I'm not living there much anymore, I'm working for another family on top of Esme and Carlisle and it's a live in position during the week, so I'll have to give you guys the number here."

"That's awesome that you got another job so fast. How do you do both at the same time?" Seth asked.

"It's Carlisle's brother, so I watch all the kids at the house. Look, I have to go, but I'll text you the number or you can just call my cell. Bye, Seth," I said.

"Night, Bella," he replied before hanging up.

"How is Seth?" Carlisle asked and I smiled.

"Good, he's trying to keep my father from boarding a plane to hunt me down when I didn't answer the apartment phone a few days in a row." I took the time to text both Seth and my dad the number for the house so that he could get a hold of me.

"Charlie has always been a worrier, but I'm sure he'll be happy to find out how well things have worked out." Esme looked at her watch and then turned to the girls. "Okay, ladies, say goodnight to Uncle Eddie."

After a round of goodbyes, Rosalie ran upstairs and Alice came over and tugged on my pants. "Beya, you go home now too?"

"No, Sweetie, I'm staying here, tonight," I told her.

"Can we watch a movie in your princess bed?" she asked, evidently thinking that the platform and the curtain made it look like a bed from a movie or a book.

"Sure, let's go pick one out," I told her as Edward looked from Alice to me. "It's okay, Edward. I'll see you in the morning."

The week after Edward's birthday was my first one with all five kids. Considering we had the trip to Amagansett this weekend, I decided to hang mostly around the house and use the time to get a better feel for Edward's kids before venturing out into the city with them.

Jasper was really introverted, so I got him to join into playtime by having him be a cowboy and having his cousins keep up the home. He'd ride on his horse and go off to read for a little bit, enjoying the pick your own adventure books that I'd found for him at a second hand bookstore. He also loved when we played school because he'd write stories about his favorite things while I presided over the class.

Rosalie played with Charlotte and Tia when she wasn't up in her room, and they really seemed to have a lot of fun. With the bigger group of kids, I quickly ordered a book of theater games for kids, remembering how much fun they were to play in high school.

We'd have dance parties with the music from their favorite shows, and I recorded all of their favorite shows, allowing each one of them to pick one to watch when we took breaks to relax. Arts and crafts went over big time, and I knew that I'd be making a trip to the store to get more supplies soon for that too.

Alice was glued to my side, playing doctor with her dolly even when the other kids were doing their own thing in the next room. It was really sweet, but I could see her getting nervous when I would try to leave her alone, so I knew that we'd have to work on that.

Edward came home every day, happy to see the smiles on all of the kids' faces. Our trip was fast approaching as the girls told Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice all about the house and how much fun it would be. I was just happy that we weren't going to be there the following weekend for the fourth of July.

Thursday, Edward was home a little later than normal, but he was weighed down with a bounty of things for the trip.

"I think you bought out the store," I teased.

"We don't have any beach gear and I just wanted to have things for them to play with. We didn't take a lot of big family trips so I wanted to make this special."

"Edward, they're going to get to spend the weekend with their dad at the beach, it's going to be special. Now was there a reason you brought it in here or…?"

"I didn't want to leave it in the car overnight. Where are they?"

"Jasper's in his room, reading the last time I checked. Alice didn't take a nap today so she's already out for the count, and Rosalie's locked in her bedroom, just like she's been since Tia and Charlotte left."

"Isabella, I'm gonna go check on Jasper, but I have a favor to ask you. Tanya wanted to speak with you, and I told her that you'd call when I got home." He looked nervous, but I just shrugged it off.

"Call her, I'll talk to her while you go and look in on Jasper," I told him, waiting for him to dial and hand the phone over.

"Edward?" the woman on the other end asked.

"No, Ma'am, I'm Bella Swan. Edward had told me that you wanted to speak to me," I rambled and she let out a short laugh on the other end.

"Yes, Bella, my children have told me a lot about you. And you can call me Tanya," she began. "I just wanted to open up a line of communication between us, because you'll be spending so much time with my children. I'm not trying to go around Edward in any way, and he knows I was going to speak to you about this, but I wanted you to be able to ask me things if you needed to. Edward and I split our time with the kids. He had the morning routine and I had the late nights. So if there's something that I can do to help, let me know. I want the kids' transition to be as smooth as possible."

"I will, Tanya, thank you," I said, a little floored that she was being so accommodating with me. "I do have a question, though. How did you deal with Alice when she gets clingy? I think it's partially because I'm new and she's worried that I won't be around for long with how much I'm around now, but Alice gets very nervous when I go to do something and I try to leave her where she is."

"I think that's a product of our families. Her grandparents are gone, Edward and I worked too hard to really be dedicated parents. We spent time with them, but it wasn't like you are by any means. I'm sure with time she'll see that you aren't going anywhere."

"I was hoping that would be all it took, but I didn't know if she made a habit out of this," I responded.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Now, Bella, I had talked to Edward about this, but I wanted to have Skype time with the kids, and I know with the time difference, it might be easier to go through you." Tanya waited for a response, and I tried to remember if Edward had mentioned that.

"I think the media and play room has a computer that's set up for that, I'll just have to check with Edward to see that it's the best one to use and then we can plan something so they know that they have their 'mommy time,'" I told her.

"Thank you, Bella. Well, I'm sure Edward can send you my number and then just drop me a text so that I have your information as well." She drifted off a little so I quickly answered.

"Of course, and I will get back you about scheduling the Skype calls once I've talked to Edward. Goodnight, Tanya."

"Night, Bella, it was nice to speak with you," she said just before the line went dead.

Edward returned a minute later, taking the phone as he moved towards the fridge to get a drink. "Jasper's passed out as well, which is good I guess, considering that we're leaving at five tomorrow morning to try and get on the road before everyone else thinks about getting out of town early."

Wanting to broach it now, I decided to tell him about what Tanya had discussed. "Tanya wanted you to text me her number, so I could contact her if I needed to, and she also asked about setting up Skype calls with the kids. I don't know if that was something that you had agreed to, so I told her I'd have to check to see what computer to use for it."

"The Skype calls are part of the arrangement, and though there aren't a set number, she'll probably want to do at least one a week. The computer in the play room is fine for that as I've got the parental controls set on that one so Rosalie can't get around them. And as for her number," he looked down at his phone for a minute and then slipped it back in his pocket, "there you go."

"Thanks, Edward, and your dinner is in the microwave," I told him as I went upstairs to pack for our weekend at the summer house.


	6. Chapter 6

******I'm going to let get right to it today, but I do want to wish you all a Happy New Year and thank HockeyChick10 for being review 100 on ffn, and snowflakebaby4 for writing the 50th review on twcs. Mizzdee and I are really excited for the next few chapters to get to you guys, so enjoy!**

******Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Chapter 6**

It was so early when I woke up the next morning; most people would be calling it late last night. But at three-thirty, I knew that if I didn't start moving, I would miss the drive out and be stuck on the train if I was planning on getting any sun this weekend.

My first task was to jump in the shower; otherwise I'd be asleep again in a minute. When I was ready for the drive out, I grabbed my things and started thinking about breakfast. I left my bags in the entryway and put on the coffee, making a big enough pot so that we could take travel mugs to keep Edward, Rosalie, and I caffeinated. As Edward didn't mind her drinking coffee, I wasn't about to leave her out.

Next, I woke up Alice and got her dressed, bringing her downstairs to help me with breakfast. With her sitting in her helper seat at the island, I made a half bagel for her and one for myself and we started eating while the coffee just finished brewing. I made bagels for everyone else, wrapping Jasper and Rosalie's so they could eat them in the car.

Edward came down a few minutes later and looked eternally grateful to see the coffee done. "There's a bagel for you too and enough for a travel mug."

"Thanks. I was lucky enough to get the spot out front last night, so we can just load up and go as soon as the kids are ready," Edward said as he took his first sip of coffee.

"No problem. Were you able to get the kids packed for the weekend after I went upstairs last night?" I asked, having only seen his bag and Jasper's cowboy duffle.

"Yes, Alice's is over there too, and Rosalie's is-" the loud bang of another suitcase hitting the floor at the bottom of the stairs interrupted us. "Rosalie, why do you have to be so difficult so early in the morning?"

"Because I have to be up so early in the morning," she mimicked her father's tone and I just slid forward the wrapped bagel and her travel mug. "Don't think this is earning you brownie points."

"Rosalie-" Edward started to yell, but I cut him off.

"Edward, there's no point at yelling into the wind. My parents got divorced when I was young and when my mom started dating Phil I knew that things were never going to be the same so I fought it until I saw how useless it was." Turning to Rosalie, I said, "Eventually, you'll realize I'm not a threat to you. I'm here to do my job and help out in any way I can, but I can't help you until you're willing to let me."

There was a heavy silence in the room until Alice announced that she had to go to the bathroom. Rosalie took her and I got up only to have Edward stop me. "She blames me for the divorce, so anything that makes my life easier is a target. I'm sorry she's giving you so much shit."

"Like I said, I'm used to it. And if I'm going to be a published author someday, then I need all the help I can get to thicken my skin," I joked before Edward looked at the time.

"Can you wake up Jasper while I pack the car?"

"Sure, just dump some ice from the bags in the freezer into the cooler. It'll make traveling out with the kids easier because we'll only have to stop to make bathroom breaks if they need it," I told him and he shook his head, muttering how I think of everything.

A half an hour later we had the car loaded with all of our things and the kids were strapped in the back, so with a final check of our route on the GPS, we headed out. The ride itself took two and a half hours and as we pulled into the garage, Esme was there to help us get settled.

I'd been here every summer with Carlisle and Esme and the kids, and Edward and his family had only been here once, the summer after Alice was born. Each kid had a room that they'd stayed in before so they ran off to claim them. Alice would be sharing with Tia, as that room had a day bed that she could use, leaving me to find which room was left.

"Isabella," Edward said, sounding a little worried.

"What is it, Edward?"

"I know what room's open, it's the one off of the second master suite, we had used it as a nursery for Alice and Tanya had slept in there. But you have to either go through my room or the bathroom to get out."

"Do you want to put one of the kids in there? I could sleep in the room on the main floor?" I offered, but Rosalie evidently had that room. "Edward, I don't care. There are plenty of bathrooms in the house, and we can lock the door that leads to the other bedroom when we use the en suite so there are no accidental walk-ins. If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll try to convince Jasper to stay in that room." I didn't know why I was still rambling, but Edward eventually shook himself out of it.

"No, you know what, we'll be fine, Isabella. Let's just go upstairs and unpack and then we can start to enjoy our day."

Moving into my room didn't take long, and it had a nice view of the wooded area with the ocean just beyond. The pool was below my window and I could already hear the kids playing. I pulled out my black bikini, knowing it was smarter to wear that here instead of at the beach tomorrow, and slipped it on along with my cover up. I took my kindle, sunglasses, and sunscreen and headed down to the pool to enjoy the early morning sunshine.

Edward wasn't outside yet, so I applied the suntan lotion and waited a little while before getting into the water. Carlisle and Esme were in the pool with the girls and Jasper, Rosalie was tanning on the other side and just as I jumped in I heard the tinkling laughter of Alice as she came outside in her frilly bathing suit and floaties.

"Beya, we go swimming," She held her arms up and I smiled, swimming closer to the shallow end and holding out my arms so she could jump in to me by the edge of the pool.

With a squeal and a little splash, followed by a much larger splash of Edward jumping in, Alice and I started bobbing and floating around the slant around the four foot area.

"Daddy, you get us all wet," Alice scolded as Edward swam up behind me.

"I'm sorry, Baby, are you okay?" he asked jokingly.

"I'm fine, Daddy." She smiled as Edward went off to swim a few laps before Alice wanted her dad to play with her.

We spent a good portion of the morning out there, before Esme called us in for lunch, hoping to get the kids out of the worst of the sun. We let them take naps since we'd had them up early to drive out here, and then as it rained for the later afternoon, we put in a movie and watched it in the massive living room.

I noticed Edward's eyes checking on Alice as she sat in my lap. He'd already tried to tell me that with this being a non-working vacation I didn't have to watch her, but I didn't mind having her around and I was here anyway. It hadn't taken long, but I was already in love with his kids as much as Lottie and Tia, even with Rosalie and her mood swings.

Carlisle still managed to barbecue under the roofed in part of the back pool area, so we ate our burgers and hot dogs for dinner before choosing another movie to lull the kids to sleep. One by one, they all conked out and were carried to their rooms after the movie ended, Alice and Tia taking the room at the end of our hall. Edward put Jasper to bed while I tucked Alice in, Esme following behind with Tia shortly after.

The number of hours I'd been awake caught up with me as soon as I got into my room and I barely managed to change into my shorts and tank top before I fell asleep.

I felt his hand on my shoulder before I heard his voice, and I couldn't figure out what he was saying. It took a good minute or two before I shook the sleep away enough to understand him.

"Isabella, Alice had a nightmare and she keeps crying for you. I tried to get her to sleep without waking you, but she won't stay down. I'm sorry," and he did look very sorry about having to bother me.

"It's all right." I yawned as I rolled out of the bed.

Edward and I walked down to the room where the girls were staying and Alice was sitting up in her bed still crying. "Beya!"

"Oh, Alice, come here." I picked her up and sat down on the bed with her in my arms while Edward sat beside me, rubbing her back.

"Beya, don't leave," she whispered through her hiccups.

"I'm not going anywhere, Sweetie. Did you have a dream that I went somewhere?" I asked and she nodded.

Once the tears stopped she spoke very quickly, "Uh huh. There was a big fight and you left and never came back. We were all alone. No one to take care of us."

"Alice, Baby, I'm not going anywhere. I will always be here to take care of you," Edward crooned, but she looked at him confused.

"Who takes care of you, Daddy?" Alice asked simply and we both understood what she was afraid of.

"Do you want me to sing you to sleep, Alice?" Knowing it would be what she needed to calm her nerves.

Singing 'Baby Mine' to her from _Dumbo_, she quickly fell asleep. After waiting around to make sure she was really out, Edward and I headed back to his room.

"She shouldn't be worrying about stuff like that," Edward said as we entered his room, "she's three years old."

"She's a smart kid, and she's worried about all the changes in her life. Once she gets more settled, she'll see that things are all right and she'll stop worrying. She doesn't understand it like the older kids do," I explained.

"Alice does understand one thing; you take care of all of us. We would be falling apart without you. I would be falling apart without you, Bella." I gasped, shocked that he'd finally called me Bella, but the shock was soon morphed into something else as his lips crashed into mine.

All of Angela's teasing about him, the hot and cold behavior, my relationship with him, my job, everything flew out of my mind in that minute as I pulled him closer and kissed him back. I didn't know how long he was going to let this continue, but I was going to enjoy the moment, because the moment after was definitely going to be awkward.

Edward's hands trailed up and down my back, along my sides and down to my ass where he finally lifted me up, allowing me to wrap my legs around his waist as he broke the kiss.

"Bella, please, I want you," he groaned against my neck and I nodded, tugging on his hair to pull his lips to mine again.

My shirt was pulled off, exposing my chest to the perfection of his as he walked us over to the bed and stumbled, falling on top of me before he muttered a curse.

Edward was off of me in an instant and I thought he had decided this was a mistake, but he just went to lock the bedroom door and then dug through his bag for a minute before pulling out his wallet and taking a condom out.

The sight of that tiny foil packet made everything seem real and as Edward stalked back over and reached down to remove my shorts and underwear all thoughts left my head.

I vaguely remember the sound of the condom being opened. I gasped as I saw him naked for the first time, his beautiful body on full display as he sheathed his impressive cock in the condom. I watched as he moved closer, eventually coming to hover above me as his lips met mine.

"We have to be quiet," he whispered and then he pushed inside me.

It had been a while since the last time I'd had sex, and Edward was much bigger than my last boyfriend, so as he moved in me, he stretched and filled me in ways I'd never known. When he was completely inside me, Edward waited a minute to calm himself before he started moving, muttering incoherently as he did. It was something about 'God' and 'perfect' and every time he spoke my name it was only Bella.

I could feel my climax building, and as Edward thrust harder and faster into me I knew he was getting close too.

"Bella, I…I need…almost," he hissed as I clenched around him, so I whispered the words that I knew he needed to hear.

"I'm right there, Edward," I whispered in his ear and I felt the change in his body as he came inside me. The tightness in his muscles, the sporadic thrusts and then the stilling as he collapsed on me for a beautiful moment, all of those were things I would never forget about him.

The aftershocks of my own release carried me into a peaceful sleep, never giving me a moment to enjoy the afterglow.

The next morning, I woke up in my own bed. I was confused until I realized that Edward must have carried me in here so the kids wouldn't see. I felt ashamed that I'd not thought of what that would do to them, but as my clothes from last night were folded on the pillow beside me, I pushed the thought away and dressed myself in case any of the kids decided to come looking for me.

"Now that's a shame," I heard Edward say behind me after I'd pulled on my shorts.

"Edward…" I tried to speak, but I honestly didn't know what to say to him.

"Don't look at me like that," he said. "I don't know what this is and I don't know where it's going, but last night I felt something I thought I'd lost. You make me feel alive and what I'm asking for is a chance to figure this out. It won't be easy and whatever it is, I think it could be great."

"So do I, there's been something between us from the beginning, and I can't describe it but I feel safe with you, and I haven't felt that in a long time."

"You are safe, Bella. I won't let anything happen to you," he said as he took a step closer to me.

"What about the kids?" I asked, because they were the most important thing to consider, and I knew that he'd been thinking about it too.

"For now, things will be the same around them. I want us to be sure about what we're doing before they find out because I can't hurt them again. I need to put them first and you're probably the person who understands that the best."

"I understand," I told him before changing the subject. "So, we should probably make an appearance down at breakfast."

"Nope, Esme and Carlisle have the kids down at the beach. Esme heard all about Alice's nightmare from Tia this morning, so she knows we had a late night with her. Which means that we have a while before they will begin to wonder where we are," Edward's face lit up and I knew exactly how he thought we should spend that time.

"Wait, don't you think we should talk more?"

"We have plenty of time to talk, Bella. But right now we have a house to ourselves and I had been planning to wake you up so we could christen this room too, but since you ruined that by waking up and getting dressed-" He was teasing me now and two could totally play at that game.

"Oh, you mean this?" I tugged on my top before throwing it off and over his head. "That can be easily fixed."

"Fuck, you're sexy," he whispered as he crossed the space between us and proceeded to pick up where we'd left off last night.


	7. Chapter 7

******Sorry for the lack of chapters the last two weeks, I was in the process of getting ready to move. But now that I've arrived the chapters will be coming more often. Thanks as always to mizzdee for her beta work and for the roof over my head. Love you gal!**

******Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Chapter 7**

The rest of the weekend passed too fast for my liking. After our 'morning after', we spent all of our time with the kids, which meant that Edward and I really didn't get our chance to talk. He kept promising that it would happen, but with every hour that passed, I grew less sure.

We packed the kids up Sunday afternoon and with the kids awake and chattering in the back, we could hardly have our discussion then, so a ping on my phone saved me from an evening of wondering.

_Lady, I'm taking you to dinner tonight…we have celebrating to do!_

Laughing at Angela's text, I told her that I would be ready around six-thirty.

"Who's that?" Edward asked as he noticed the smile on my face.

"Angela, we're going out to dinner when we get back," I told him.

"I thought we were going to talk?"

"We can't do it with the kids awake, and she has some kind of news, so just get them to bed and we'll talk tonight," I said before going back to my phone.

The rest of the ride passed by quicker than it should have coming back from the Hamptons on a Sunday and once we had the kids and our bags back inside, I went to get ready for dinner with Angela.

After showering and getting ready, I came downstairs to have Edward waiting for me by the stairs. "I can't tell you not to talk to Angela about this, but her fiancé is my employee, and I'd rather he not know about us until we know what's happening."

"Fine," I said, walking out the door before he could say anything else.

Seeing as it was a nice evening, I decided to walk the mile across town to Saigon 48 where Angela wanted to eat. It took about twenty five minutes, but when I arrived Angela was already at a table.

"You look refreshed," Angela said as she stood up to hug me.

"It was a fun trip out there, I really love that house," I told her honestly, before turning the inquiry on her. "But that's not what we're here to discuss. You said we have celebrating to do, so what happened this weekend?"

"Okay," Angela said as we sat down, "I went for the interview at the company I had interned for, and it took them a few days to finish their interviews, but I got one of the positions. It's a great job with plenty of opportunities and between Ben's job working as one of the assistants under Edward and my job we can get ourselves a great apartment."

"That's amazing, now you just have to find a place-" I started but Angela cut me off.

"No, we already found it. We used a broker, because it would be insane trying to find a place without one, and Ben's dad said he would pay the broker fee to make sure we found a place and he found us what we wanted in Jamaica. It's a cute, modern little building and because it's in Queens instead of Manhattan we are paying $1900 for a two-bedroom."

"Wait, why are you getting a two bedroom?" I asked, now wondering if there was a completely different question I should be asking her.

"Relax, I'm not pregnant, but it is easier to have the extra space and use it for an office or a guest room than it is to try and get a two bedroom in that building if we find ourselves needing it. And the difference in rent isn't much. We were provisional before I got the call Thursday, but now with the contract I'm going in to sign tomorrow we'll get our apartment August 1st."

"See, I told you everything would work out," I said as the waitress came over to take our drink orders.

We took a few minutes to figure out our orders and then after they were in Angela turned her attention back to me. "I know something's going on, but I'm putting faith in you to tell me. Because if it was important you wouldn't keep it a secret."

"I want to tell you, but I need you to not tell Ben, and I don't want to have to make you promise that," I told her.

"Do I have to keep the whole thing a secret, or can I just not tell him something specific about it?" Angela asked and I thought about what Edward had said.

"You couldn't tell him who the person was, but if you were general about it until everything was figured out then that's fine." I knew I sounded incredibly cryptic and in a minute she was going to tell me to cut the shit.

"Okay, so I won't tell him who the mystery guy is. Now what happened?" she asked.

"Edward and I slept together," I whispered.

"What? What does that mean for you? Are you still working for him? What are you going to tell Carlisle and Esme? Or was this just a onetime thing?" Angela fired off her questions and I was about to answer when our food arrived.

We thanked the girl and then I started to explain it. "It just kind of happened. But he didn't seem to regret it and he said we would talk even though he's been stalling a little on that. But the truth is that I don't know. I love my job and I don't want to lose it because of this not working out, but at the same time I don't want to throw away the most amazing sex in the world because I'm afraid of what comes next."

"So the sex was that good, huh?" Angela teased. "I could tell that man was a champion."

"Okay, enough of my hypothetical love life." I tried to change the subject. "Have you set a wedding date?"

"October 4th," she fired back. "So when you say best sex in the world, did you mean for anyone, or because James was a sack of shit who only cared about himself, and the two guys you saw before him were two minute men?"

"When are we going to look at bridesmaids dresses?" I tried to head her off but she shook her head.

"David's Bridal has the perfect color, you can pick the style. All I ask is that it's not full length and that you don't get the same style as my cousin Jessica. Samantha will be getting a dress from the juniors department there, so you won't have to worry about her," Angela told me and I smiled. Out of her two cousins, Samantha was my favorite, we had a lot in common and she and I had become close since she moved in with Angela's family.

"Have you decided when you're going to look for a wedding dress?" I continued.

"I'm made an appointment at David's Bridal for next week. I figured we could meet my mom, do the whole afternoon and you could try on bridesmaid dresses too." Angela was moving this at a brisk pace, but she had told me that if the venue she wanted on Long Island had been available, then she was going to move heaven and earth to make it happen on that day.

"I'll be there," I said.

After another hour of her asking me about Edward, many of the answers being ones I didn't have at the moment, we parted and I started my trek back to the brownstone. It was just after nine when I came in and Edward was waiting for me in the living room.

"Can we talk now?" he asked.

"Sure, but do you want to go downstairs into your office so we have a little more privacy?"

"That's probably for the best," he said, leading me down the stairs into his basement office and over to the couch that sat against the wall. "Bella, before we start with all of this, I want you to know that I don't regret what happened, just how I jumped into this. So I'm asking for a little patience with me."

"Okay," I said, bracing myself for the worst.

"You're still the kids' nanny, and I'd prefer it if we at least tried in the beginning to keep our relationship separate from that. I told you that nights and weekends were your own time, so that is when we can take time to explore what we are trying to build."

"Please tell me that this isn't just about sex," I had to ask.

"No, it isn't…though we shouldn't discount its importance either." He winked and I felt the air re-enter my lungs.

"I want to move slowly because I can't hurt my children again. I need to know that we're solid before I tell them and our families that you're someone special to me. But I also want you to know that your job is more important than anything. My children have bonded with you and if I think that this isn't leading somewhere meaningful I will choose you as my children's' nanny before my lover. That may sound harsh but I -"

"I understand, but if something is bothering you, you will talk to me before you kill our relationship, right?" I asked, worried that I would never have equal footing in this.

"Of course, we're partners in this, Bella," he whispered and I couldn't help but smile.

"I love hearing you call me that," I answered the question in his eyes.

"I was an idiot thinking that what I called you would make a difference," he said as he leaned over to kiss me. We stayed downstairs for a little while longer before returning to the main floor of the house and our separate rooms.

With the summer officially in full swing, I planned a bunch of fun city trips and then checked each one off the list of things I did with all the kids. The city had a lot of great programs in the parks with concerts and movies and fairs, so besides our regular trips to play at the park, we got to go out as a group and explore. The summer seemed to move fast in those first weeks, with Tanya asking me to send pictures to her after hearing about all the fun things the kids got to do, and before I knew it, it was July 28th.

It had been a normal day; we went to the museum to see Jasper's dinosaurs and the planetarium show, spending a good part of the afternoon looking at the exhibits. Esme had arranged for a sleepover at her house for the kids that evening and the date hadn't dawned on me because she had just told me that she would take the kids on Friday night. We'd come home and I got everyone ready for Esme and soon after they left, my phone rang.

"Hey, Dad," I smiled as I answered.

"Hey, Kiddo, how are you holding up today?" As soon as he said the words, I realized what today was.

"I'm doing all right, the kids help keep my mind off it," I told him because they had done just that today.

"That's good, I still can believe you're wrangling five kids at once," he said with a laugh.

"Charlotte and Tia are great and one of Edward's is fifteen, so I just have to make sure she doesn't break his rules and she does help out with the younger ones when she isn't in a mood," I told Dad.

"All right, well, I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing. I'll talk to you soon, Bells."

"You too, Dad, bye."

I hung up the phone and put it down on the island in the kitchen. From there I made it three steps before I collapsed onto the cold tile floor and cried my eyes out.

Eventually I heard movement behind me and I was scooped up into strong arms as Edward tried to get my attention. "Bella, Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"I forgot…how could I…they're…" The tears didn't stop, but Edward just found somewhere to sit with me and held me until the tears slowed.

"Bella, you're scaring me. What happened?" he asked, his beautiful face marred with concern.

"Today is the sixth anniversary of the accident," I said and Edward pulled me closer.

"Oh, Honey, that's why Esme took the kids tonight, so you would be able to do what you needed to without having to worry about them?" Edward assumed, but I just shrugged.

"I don't know, Edward. I'm assuming that's why, but the point is that I didn't even remember it was today. My dad called to check on me a little while ago and I realized what the date was and I just felt so terrible. How could I forget them, Edward? They're half my family and I went around the museum today like it was nothing."

"Bella, you're allowed to keep living your life. I'm sure your mom and step-dad would be proud of you, not just for what you've done with your life, but for spending the day laughing and smiling instead of being locked away. Now, do you normally fly down to visit their graves at some point?"

"No, they're upstairs," I told him and almost laughed at his reaction.

"What?"

"Their ashes are in two urns in my room. But I would like to get cleaned up and go light a candle for them at St. Patrick's before it gets too late," I said and he held me a little closer.

"I didn't know you were catholic," he whispered.

"We have a lot to learn about each other, now I better run upstairs."

"Do you want some company?" he asked and I nodded.

"I'd like that."

I went upstairs and splashed some water on my face before putting on a pair of pants and a blouse since I had to change out of the clothes I'd worn around the city with the kids all day. I was surprised when Edward was standing in my room, looking at the urns. My mom and Phil were in a wooden urn with their names and dates prominently displayed along with the footprints in the sand image. Beside them was a weeping angel statue with a small plaque with a teddy bear and Bree's information. Edward stared at them for a while before turning to me.

"I didn't realize…your sister was a week older than Jasper. He was born two days after Valentine's Day," Edward said as I wrapped my arms around his waist. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," I said, grabbing my purse as we went downstairs.

It didn't take too long to walk up to the Church and once inside Edward followed my lead. I walked over to the prayer candles just to the right of the center aisle and took three candles from the bottom container, and reached over to light the first one from one of the candles that was already lit. As I did so, I saw Edward slip some money into the offering box and place his hand on the small of my back. I lit the three candles and then said a short prayer before walking along the right side aisle towards the back of the sanctuary where the Lady Chapel was. Edward stayed with me, slipping into the pew beside me as I bowed my head in prayer.

At first Edward knelt beside me, praying as well, but soon he rose to sit on the pew, rubbing my back as I somehow found more tears to shed. I prayed that they were well and happy where they were, that my life brought them some bit of joy as they watched down on me, and that they would continue to guide me in my life, especially with regards to Edward.

As I sat back, Edward pulled me into his side and kissed my temple. "Do you feel better?"

I nodded.

"Good, now let's get some dinner and then head home. Esme has the kids until noon tomorrow so we can relax tonight. It's time someone takes care of you for a change," Edward whispered into my hair before we left the church and began the walk home.


End file.
